Lenin Statue torn down in Ukraine

Ukrainian nationalists have torn down a statue of former Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin in the country's east.

A large crowd waved Ukrainian flags and cheered as the statue toppled to the ground in the city of Kharkiv.

People also sang the Ukrainian national anthem as the statue - the largest of Lenin in Ukraine - was attached to ropes and pulled down.

Pro-Russian militants attempted to mobilise an anti-Ukraine movement in Kharkiv earlier this year, but the attempt failed.

Leonid Onishchenko described the statue as an "insult" to Ukrainians.

"We are an independent country and we have a monument to the chief of the neighbouring state which attacked us at least three times without announcing the war in the last century, and in this century now," he said.

"That was simply obscene. He (Lenin) was one of the most bloody dictators of 20th century."

Another man said: "Because of him, Ukraine was in poverty for more than 10 years.

"The good example is famines of 1920s, 30s and 40s. I hope this monument will not be here, even no memory of him at all."